


Can We Skip To The Cake?

by AgentBuzzkill



Series: Fic Requests [15]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 06:34:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3559745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentBuzzkill/pseuds/AgentBuzzkill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Connie tries to convince Kimball that yes, South can totally deliver a positive and motivational pep talk and South does her best to actually do that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can We Skip To The Cake?

**Author's Note:**

> From an anonymous prompter: "ok, but: kimballina and ct/south AU where ct and south are at kimball and carolina's wedding. south decides to give carolina a pep talk (it goes about as well as south's pep talks usually go), and ct goes to talk to kimball."

In the sunlight pouring through the window of her dressing room, Kimball looks like a goddess. There’s still an hour or so until she has to walk down the aisle, so she’s in a fluffy white bathrobe, sitting still as her bridesmaids flutter around her fixing her hair and touching up her makeup. Connie can’t help but feel a bit out of place as she stands and watches them. The group is composed of Kimball’s closest friends and her sister, and they talk and giggle among themselves as Kimball watches and joins in occasionally. She spots Connie standing in the doorway to the room and smiles. When she stands the group around her parts down the middle to let her through, and Connie feels like she’s being given and audience with a queen. She wonders briefly if anyone would even laugh if she bowed, but just gives a small smile to Kimball instead.

"Something wrong?" Kimball asks, still smiling even as her eyebrows draw together a bit in worry. As she walks towards her, Connie becomes very aware of the fact that she has to look up at Kimball, even though she is in heels and Kimball is not.

Connie just shakes her head, and watches as Kimball relaxes. “No,” she says quietly. “Just, uh…Carolina wanted to be alone for a bit. And I wanted to see if you needed anything.”

"Oh." Kimball looks back at her bridesmaids, who have resumed talking together. She glances at Connie and bites her lip.

"Then do you mind if I ask you something?"

It catches Connie off guard for a moment, that Kimball would need her advice. She blinks, hesitates only a moment before saying, “Uh yes. Yes! Sure. What’s up?”

Kimball looks back at her bridesmaids again before motioning for Connie to follow her. They go to a room just off of the larger lounge, this one an actual dressing room where Kimball’s suit hangs in a clear garment bag and floor-to-ceiling mirrors surround them.

"Sorry it’s a bit cramped," Kimball says when she closes the door. "But it’s where we’ll get the most privacy. I love my friends, but it’s been hard to be alone for the past few days."

Connie knows what Kimball is talking about. Her past week has been spent helping Carolina with anything she needed to make sure the wedding went off perfectly. That and she had been planning Carolina’s bachelorette party with South, and that had taken up all the time she wasn’t spending with Carolina already. She wonders if Kimball has seen much of her fiancee in the past week at all.

"What’s wrong?" Connie asks, and Kimball bites her lip. Connie sees her reach for her left hand, touch the spot around her finger where her engagement ring had once been, now to be replaced with a wedding band in just an hour.

"How’s Carolina doing?" she asks, and Connie blinks up at her.

"She’s, uh…" How was she going to lightly phrase the fact that Carolina was losing her goddamn mind?

Kimball notices her hesitation and must be able to see something in her face because her face falls. “Oh no,” she murmurs and turns away from Connie to bit her lip at the suit hanging near her.

Connie likes to think that in the two years Kimball and Carolina dated she’s gotten pretty close to her best friend’s soon-to-be-wife, and it makes something twist in her gut to see worry lines appear in Kimball’s forehead.

"I was afraid this would happen," Kimball says, staring at the suit as Connie looks at her in the mirrors. "How bad is it? Should I…does she still even want to go through with it?"

Connie shakes her head quickly. “It’s…not that bad, really.” Kimball meets her eyes in the mirror and she tries to give a reassuring smile. “I promise, if she’s got any reservations to this they have nothing to do with you.”

Some of the worry lines in Kimball’s forehead relax a bit and Connie takes that as a good sign.

"I should get in this," Kimball murmurs, gesturing to the suit.

"Oh." Connie makes a move to open the door. "Should, uh. Should I-?"

"Can you help me?" Kimball asks with a small, grateful smile that Connie easily returns.

"Of course."

Connie helps smooth down the back of Kimball’s shirt, helps adjust her cufflinks and straighten her bowtie and the lapels of her jacket. When she’s dressed, they both admire Kimball’s reflection in the mirror.

"Carolina will be okay," Connie says then, still supposing she’s there for reassurance. "South is talking with her. She’ll be fine."

Kimball blinks. “Really? You think that’ll help?”

"About as much as South can usually help."

The worry lines in Kimball’s forehead return.

-x-

South knows that Kimball’s heart is big enough and that she cares enough about Carolina that she would immediately call off the wedding if Carolina was serious about not going through with it. She knows Kimball would gladly trade her own perfect day for Carolina’s doubts.

South, however, is not as kind. She’s known Carolina for too long and spent too much money on her damn dress (a blue dress that does nothing for her, thanks a whole fucking lot Carolina), not to mention lost too many nights of sleep trying to wrangle florists and caterers and venue reservations. She’s not about to let Carolina’s self-imposed doubts ruin this day.

She doesn’t say any of this, of course. Carolina looks close to tears enough as it is, and South also spent too much damn time on her makeup. She’s not about to try to do those eyeliner wings again.

Instead, she stands in between Carolina and the vanity she’s sitting in front of, and places her hands on her shoulders. Carolina looks up at her, her delicately curled bangs elegantly swept to the side to accompany the updo that had taken both Connie and South to perfect and put in place. She’s glad Carolina isn’t in her dress yet so she doesn’t have to worry about it getting wrinkled with the way Carolina is balling the fabric of her bathrobe in her fists

"What the hell is wrong?" she asks, and immediately kicks herself mentally because what the fuck, wasn’t she supposed to be comforting?

Carolina sniffs. “I don’t think I can do this,” she says. “I feel sick.”

"You’re just nervous." South waves a hand dismissively. "All the stress is just from this week. You’ve just gotta strut up that aisle, say some junk to a priest, kiss up on your new wife for a bit, and then get the hell off the altar because we have an awesome cake and an open bar waiting for us at your reception."

Carolina just frowns, eyes widening as if South isn’t getting the picture.

"That’s the problem," she spits, and South’s eyes narrow at the sudden hostility. "How the hell am I supposed to stand in front of all those people. I don’t-I can’t…" She struggles with her thoughts of a moment and South very nearly interrupts her before Carolina manages to say: "It’s embarrassing, okay?"

"What’s embarrassing?" South demands, and she tries to stop her patience from thinning.

Carolina hesitates for a moment, searching South’s face for an answer to some question she never asked. “It’s not…it’s not really you guys but…”

"Are you embarrassed of us?" South asks, her voice rising in volume, and Carolina is quick to put up placating hands.

"Not…Not you guys, per se. But just…just the fact that there’s so few of you."

At the incredulous look on South’s face, Carolina continues.

"Kimball has a literal army of friends and family. When we were sending out invitations, most of them were for her side of the guests. Her half of the seats is full, and most of her guests ended up on my side too." Her eyes had welled up as she talked and South scrambles to get a tissue and catch the tears before they can fall.

"I could never be embarrassed of you guys," Carolina says in a small voice. South holds her face and wipes her eyes gently as she talks. It’s best, South knows, to just let her talk through whatever’s upsetting her. She’s found out that Carolina tends to come to the right conclusions on her own. South is still prepared to yell at her though. Carolina continues, "But what if Kimball is embarrassed of me? What if her family looks at me and looks at who showed up for my wedding and they think that nobody cares about me? What if they think I’m not good enough for Vanessa?" A sob escapes her. "What if I’m really not good enough for her?"

South scowls for a moment as Carolina continues to cry. South catches the tears and manages to save most of her makeup, and when Carolina calms down she stands up and looks down at her friend with crossed arms over her chest.

"Do you really think all of those people give a flying fuck about you two getting married?"

Carolina looks up from her lap.

"Wha-" she begins before South interrupts.

"I came from a pretty big fuckin’ family. I went to a lot of weddings, and I probably only personally knew anyone getting married in two or three of ‘em. The rest of the time? It was just an excuse to dress up and dance. Like a fancy club with an open bar and some old people." Carolina’s frown is deepening, and she tries to cut to the chase. "I’d go ahead and say only a few people Kimball invited really care about this wedding, and you know that Kimball’s parents have met you and love you."

South walks to the rack where Carolina’s dress hangs. She plucks it off the metal bar and scoops up the skirt with her other hand to keep the gown from dragging on the floor as she brings it to Carolina. Carolina stands and turns to her, confused, wiping a hand under her eyes.

"Let me tell you what you’re gonna do," South says as she holds out the dress, and Carolina takes it hesitantly. "You’re gonna put this on and admire how fuckin’ hot you look in it. You’re gonna bask in the feeling of being a goddamn princess or whatever it is you want to dream of being today. And then you’re gonna let me touch up your makeup before heading out and waiting by those big doors that lead into that church. And when those doors open you’re gonna let your best friend fucking walk you down the aisle, you’re gonna marry the woman who loves you, and you’re not gonna give a shit about what anyone else thinks."

Carolina glances from the dress in her arms to South and a wave of determination seems to pass through her. Her back straightens, her head raises a bit, and she even smiles. She meets South’s eyes and holds the dress back out to her.

"Help me into this," she says. "I want to go get married."

-x-

Connie meets up with South in front of the chapel doors. Carolina stands behind them, looking angelic in her gown as she holds a bouquet of flowers in one hand and fixes the veil that falls around her face with the other. Connie watches as York steps up to help her and she gives him a grateful smile at whatever he mutters to her before taking his arm. When Carolina meets her eyes she gives her a thumbs up and Carolina simply waves her bouquet.

"You know," South murmurs as she hears the muffled beginnings of music start up behind the doors in front of them, "I’ve always liked weddings."

Connie gives her a disbelieving look, lips twisting up in a smirk. “Really? You’ve always told me you thought they were dumb.”

South shrugs, offering her arm as the doors open. The music swells and surround them as South leads Connie down the aisle, the congregation turning to look at them as they pass by. Connie’s eyes trail over the massive expanse of Kimball’s family to her left, over the small grouping of Carolina’s friends to her right, before settling on the sight of Kimball standing tall and proud at the altar with her gaggle of bridesmaids in a straight line behind her.

When they reach the altar they turn to face the congregation, who immediately stand when the doors open a second time and the music shifts to signal the arrival of the bride.

Carolina seems to glow as York leads her down the aisle. The movement of her gown makes her appear to be floating, and even as Connie watches her Carolina can’t seem to look at anyone but Kimball. When they reach the altar she gives York a tight hug before turning and taking Kimball’s outstretched hand.

The priest drones on about love and commitment, Kimball and Carolina exchange rings and vows, and before Connie knows it the priest is declaring them to be newlyweds. Kimball lifts Carolina’s veil and takes her face in shaking hands before pressing their lips together, and as they kiss Carolina throws her arms around Kimball’s shoulders. Connie claps wildly, and she almost misses it when South leans down next to her ear and murmurs something that makes Connie’s heart skip a beat.

"Maybe we should do something like this sometime."


End file.
